Tuesday 4th September 2012

Time For Tea? AMG's 'red pig' in action

Time For Tea? reprises Friday's Pic Of The Week and a chance to see AMG's 'red pig' in action

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You couldn't get more 70s than this if you suddenly sprouted a huge set of sideburns, slipped into some polyester flares and sparked up a fag at your desk while winking salaciously at your female colleagues. We don't recommend any of these. Rather, make a brew, get your headphones on and indulge in some 70s porn. Er, of the four-wheeled variety.

This is where it started for AMG

We have PHer dave_stew to thank for this one. Having seen Friday's Pic Of The Week he shared a link to some video footage of the fabulous Mercedes 300SEL 6.8 AMG built for its first ever race at the Spa 24-hour in 1971. The monster Merc, driven by Hans Heyer and Clemens Schickentanz (possibly both Germans but we're not sure...) came second overall behind a Capri RS but has gone down in legend all the same. And here it is in action, along with a host of other similarly fabulous fat-tyred 70s touring cars, all sliding about on Spa's tarmac even with all that rubber on the ground.

If you've ever found yourself muttering 'them's were the days...' then you'll be finding vindication in the following footage too. This was back when Spa was still very much a road circuit, cows, blokes leaning out of their lounge windows and even a pair of suggestively posed policemen (look, it's the 70s...) all just inches from the action. OK, the German commentator isn't exactly the last word in breathless enthusiasm but ignore him and marvel at the cars - the Merc looks fabulously out of place, the CSLs sublime, fat-tyred Escorts brilliant and the Camaros and Mustangs suitably pumped up and noisy. Oh, and wait, is that really a Citroen SM in the middle of a touring car race? What the hell?

Anyway, enjoy the vid - we did!

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[Nick_Johnson]

Superb, motor racing just isn't as good as that anymore in terms of sheer adrenaline. Just love how close the spectators are to the action, the Red Pig is such an AMG Icon.

[belleair302]

At 1:12 is that a mini cooper in the picture?

[Oddball RS]

Great video it just goes to show that it 'aint like that' anymore.

However i do have a request.

Seemingly every two weeks does an article or picture of this bloody Mercedes pop up, there's a whole world of other stuff on youtube, can we at least have a 'Red' Pig' free month now???

[j3ffers]

belleair302 said:

At 1:12 is that a mini cooper in the picture?

Yep, think so. Love the range of cars in the vid, including the oddities like the big citroen at 2:10.

Can't get over how close the spectators used to be.

[fatboy69]

Proper touring car racing, not the dull crap we get served up with these days.

More please.

[PtheP]

Brilliant stuff ... an era likely never to be repeated sadly (much like the sports car racing of the day). More 'Red Pig' any time you like!

[Funpotato]

Found this

http://touringcarracing.net/Pages/p%201971%20Spa.h...

Pretty funky.

[SkidPro]

Great film. I'm sure I saw a Moskvitch in there somewhere

[dragonheart]

Iconic or not, the "Red Pig" does nothing for me. The RS Capri, now that's a different matter, simply awesome.

[anonymous-user]

I saw one of these last Wednesday at the Mercedes AMG Showroom at Champs-Elysees In Paris!

[matthias73]

The commentator said more or less the following, just as the policemen are standing there suggestively


"Freuen sich endlos ueber jedes Posizion verbesserung"

Which if translated directly and not taking into account differing tenses or equivalent phrases means:

"Are endlessly happy about each position bettering"

Made me giggle

[Cheib]

Point of order m'lud.

They aren't CSl's in the vid....they didn't start making them until '72. They're "just" CS's

Mr Trent please brush up on your historical BMW's !!!

[nismo48]

Cheib said:

Point of order m'lud.

They aren't CSl's in the vid....they didn't start making them until '72. They're "just" CS's

Mr Trent please brush up on your historical BMW's !!!

[Maldini35]

Awesome

[CAPP0]

Wrong to be loving the Capris in the video more than the Merc??

[Munich]

Fantastic. I love the way the cars move about, which modern tyres and suspension technology no longer allows. The cars look more "alive" and less clinical.

[mustard tab]

so much to love about that vid, the capri's, Alfa GTV's cocking a wheel, the sheer size of the red pig being used as a race car, 4 wheel drifting, all bloody marvellous, real motor racing

[dinkel]

[Monty Zoomer]

I like all the Fords in the video much more than the Mercedes

[A832]

That was quite simply bloody fantastic.

Eau Rouge looks quite different to today's sanitised version. As for the rest of the course..